Leeds, NHS, privatisation

Latest minutes 12/02/20

NHS News

The Dept. of Health have backtracked on proposed new demands on GPs and made a deal with the BMA

Concern re NHS data sold to private companies can identify individual patients, despite anonymity guarantees.

Johnson indicating he wants to shift power over the NHS from Simon Stevens to Sec of State for Health.

Hunt is now chair of the all Party commission on Health and Social Care

A recent Guardian article highlights increasing health inequalities

The lack of appropriate educational and other support for people with autism has been in the headlines recently and instances of harmful institutional care continue to be an issue.

Ian Pattison ‘s conviction for unnecessary breast surgery highlights dangers of privatisation and lack of scrutiny.

Dangers of removal of skin lesions by beauticians has been highlighted – missing carcinomas etc. John pointed out this procedure was one of the 17 the NHS restricted over a year ago.

People going to Poland for dental care. Likely to see increase in shopping around the world for health and even social care !!

It would be good to renew links with the SENSE group who demonstrated in Leeds over a year ago.

John is writing to the Guardian ( letter printed 14.2 – see attached)

All the more reason to get on with shining a light on privatisation.

Feedback from recent events

Stall 2nd Feb

Leeds Health Scrutiny Board

We had 2 musicians – Rob and John so it was very merry ! Not massive response but some good chats and contacts made.

J and G attended yesterday. The Board discussed
centralising all maternity services at LGI Currently docs trying to cover LGI and St. James and poorly babies have to be shifted from St James to LGI for intensive care, sometimes without their mother so centralisation makes sense in light of new children’s hospital block being built at LGI,. There is a consultation ongoing. It is possible some ante natal clinics will continue to run at St James.
Spinal surgery was the other key topic. Spinal surgery in West Yorks now done in Leeds or occasionally by Leeds surgeons operating in other towns. It is routine for patients to have to wait a year for surgery
NB interesting comment from the Chief Exec of LTHT that they don’t talk about cost improvements any more as ‘waste reduction, more likely to engage staff !!

Winter Crisis Protest 15.2
Press release sent and The Yorkshire Evening Post are publishing an article, probably on Friday. We have a big banner, plenty of placards and will probably do a new song ie new words to old tune ! Weather forecast not great but we’ll go ahead as word has gone far and wide.

J and G wil get the kit there including a PA. Please encourage people to attend. If very wet will just do an hour.

W Yorks & H’gate Scrutiny Cttee 18.2
venue tbc
W Yorks & H’gate Joint Scrutiny Board meets next Tuesday 10.30 venue tbc
Has Learning Disability, assessment and treatment Units on the agenda

J &G attend find out what is happening , ask questions

Spotlight on privatisation probably May ?
D, J and G haven’t met yet but will aim to do so before our next meeting
D has been drumming up offers to perform a social/ fundraiser

Gilda has asked Café Economique at Seven Arts if they would be interested in hosting or co- hosting a public mtg

HCT Regional demo 27th June – thinking ahead.

Demo in the summer lose to the NHS birthday gives us opportunities to go for more flair and festive. Maybe think re involving children – fancy dress or at least hats ?
M has offered to do the postcard which is brill!

Please bring ideas to next meeting.

Other events

13.2 Youth climate strike

Sat 29.2 11am

21.3 Anti – Racism March London

28th March . Poss. regional honk at Huddersfield RI

Sat 2nd May Leeds TUC May Day March

KONP SG 9.5

Banners Held High Wakefield May 16th

Assembles 11am this Friday 14th outside the Town hall. March 12.30

KONP stall in town. We thought we should aim to do a stall once a month at a minimum

We have offered to host KONP’s national Steering Group meeting on Sat 9th May.

Please support KONP stall in town near Accessorize on Commercial St

Waiting confirmation from Mike Forster chair, Hands Off HRI

Take KONP banner and flags

G to sort venue

Aim to join up with other NHS Campaign Groups

Next Meeting : Wed 26th Feb 6.30 – 8pm in The Victoria Hotel , Great George St.,
directly behind Leeds Town Hall

media, NHS, privatisation

Silent Privatisation of the NHS – Dr John Puntis, The Guardian Letters

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/13/silent-privatisation-of-the-health-service

Your report (Beauticians’ mole removals letting skin cancers grow and causing burns, 12 February) highlights dangers to patients from interventions performed outside the NHS. In 2019, NHS England (NHSE) published guidance for commissioners on restricting a number of NHS procedures. “Removal of benign skin lesions” was in fact the major target for predicted reduced activity/anticipated savings. While the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence was involved in the NHSE consultation, it has not endorsed the recommendations to reduce activity through withdrawal of funding.

In the light of your report, it’s ironic that one of NHSE’s stated objectives was to “reduce avoidable harm to patients”. It appears that the law of unintended consequences was not given due consideration. Increased risk to patients is an example of what happes when healthcare is treated as a market commodity.
Dr John Puntis
Co-chair, Keep Our NHS Public

Leeds, NHS

Yorkshire Health Campaigns Together Network Meeting notes

1. Discussion re the new political landscape post election
John Puntis gave a short introduction based on these notes circulated beforehand :
NHS became a major issue (thanks to campaigners) in election – forced Johnson to make promises. Roy Lilley
came up with a list of these. They are already being broken! (https://lowdownnhs.info/news/after-the-
election-the-broken-promises/)
Queen’s speech enshrined promise of extra money in law – but this funding is inadequate. NHS Providers Chief
Exec Chris Hopson – if rate had gone up as before 2010, budget would now be £35m higher.
Government says giving “£34bn in cash terms” over 5 years – first year’s extra frontline £5.5bn and by 2023/24
extra £30.5bn – but NHS needs money now, and has lost out on underinvestment.
Note also that “£34bn in cash terms” if adjusted for inflation and cost pressures, the government’s own figures
show it will be worth only £20.5 bn in real terms.
Real budget for NHS in 2024 will be way below what is needed (increased population, more chronic illness, new
treatments) – Trusts now in debt of £14bn – BMA estimates £6.2bn short a year on top of existing deficits.
November 2019: 2.1 million A&E attendances – 5.2% increase from last year; 94.9% bed occupancy – waiting
list grown to 4.6 million – worst ever performance against 4 hour standard
Will continue to impact on mental health, GP and community services.
Social care – no solution; “cross party consensus”
6000 new GPs not included in legally binding proposals; promise of 5000 made in 2015 by Hunt and reiterated
5 times + overall reduction in 1000 WTE. 50k nurses (18k already working!)
Nursing bursary has not been restored – it is £5k annual maintenance grant – still have to pay £9k tuition fees
(nurse applications fell by 30% after abolition)
12.5% of NHA staff are foreign nationals; “new visa to ensure fast track entry” but massive fall in recruitment
from EU; £400 for visa plus £625/person immigration health charge annually
Scrap hospital car parking (less money for hospitals) – only “for those in greatest need” (abolished already in
Scotland and Wales)
“NHS Long term plan Bill” – no explanation how LTP can be implemented, but stripping away accountability
and bringing in Integrated Care Provider contracts with scope for major private involvement
“40 new hospitals” – only 6 will get beyond drawing board by 2024; 21 seed funding; 20 some money for
upgrades and maintenance, but 100 that have asked for capital project funds rejected
Nigel said that he thought that John Ashworth and Labour in general were very poor on the NHS during the
election. They focused on threats from America in the future which the Tories could dismiss and didn’t mention
WOS. The Tories pumped out a lot of lies. “We are in a context of misinformation “

NHS, privatisation

NHS post-election, Dr John Puntis

NHS post election : notes from Dr. John Puntis
NHS became a major issue (thanks to campaigners) in election – forced Johnson to make promises. Roy Lilley came up with a list of these. They are already being broken!

(https://lowdownnhs.info/news/after-the-election-the-broken-promises/)

Queen’s speech enshrined promise of extra money in law – but this funding is inadequate. NHS Providers Chief Exec Chris Hopson – if rate had gone up as before 2010, budget would now be £35m higher.

Government says giving “£34bn in cash terms” over 5 years – first year’s extra frontline £5.5bn and by 2023/24 extra £30.5bn – but NHS needs money now, and has lost out on underinvestment.

Note also that “£34bn in cash terms” if adjusted for inflation and cost pressures, the government’s own figures show it will be worth only £20.5 bn in real terms.

Real budget for NHS in 2024 will be way below what is needed (increased population, more chronic illness, new treatments) – Trusts now in debt of £14bn – BMA estimates £6.2bn short a year on top of existing deficits.
November 2019: 2.1 million A&E attendances – 5.2% increase from last year; 94.9% bed occupancy – waiting list grown to 4.2 million – worst ever performance against 4 hour standard

Will continue to impact on mental health, GP and community services.
Social care – no solution; “cross party consensus”
6000 new GPs not included in legally binding proposals; promise of 5000 made in 2015 by Hunt and reiterated 5 times + overall reduction in 1000 WTE. 50k nurses (18k already working!)

Nursing bursary has not been restored – it is £5k annual maintenance grant – still have to pay £9k tuition fees (nurse applications fell by 30% after abolition
12.5% of NHA staff are foreign nationals; “new visa to ensure fast track entry” but massive fall in recruitment from EU; £400 for visa plus £625/person immigration health charge annually
Scrap hospital car parking (less money for hospitals) – only “for those in greatest need” (abolished already in Scotland and Wales)

“NHS Long term plan Bill” – no explanation how LTP can be implemented, but stripping away accountability and bringing in Integrated Care Provider contracts with scope for major private involvement

“40 new hospitals” – only 6 will get beyond drawing board by 2024; 21 seed funding; 20 some money for upgrades and maintenance, but 100 that have asked for funds rejected

If anyone really believed that Johnson’s “new” Conservative government, following nine years of Conservative governments, was going to pump big money into the NHS and tackle the problems that are increasingly in the headlines, they will have five miserable years to reflect on how wrong they were